Unreliable Witness
by alizep
Summary: Adonis told Minako that her love fortune was that her duty would always be her love and that she will be loveless for eternity. His story verses history.
1. Figure It Out

Minako punched Adonis in the arm in her playful manner as they walked down the hall, first pausing to make sure that no one was looking. She often joked that it would be unbecoming of a princess to be seen doing something so violent, but he laughed at her saying that she was more warrior than princess anyway.

'And how would you know?' she would ask, her voice full of her normal teasing nature.

He would smile and wrap his arm around her before responding, 'because I am in charge of the whole Venusian army and not even I am warrior enough to match you.'

They would laugh and she would follow up with some crude joke that she had heard in her travels as lead delegate for the moon. Sometimes he would blush at her words, other times when he was in the mood he would top her comments with some of his own making her the one to blush.

The couple had known each other their whole lives having been raised in the same circles since birth. Adonis was 22, 3 years her senior. He often liked to tease her about being younger saying that he could teach her a thing or two. One day she took him up on his offer thinking that he would back down being a man of all talk, but she found herself surprised when he brought her to his room and became the first man she ever laid with. They were not in love, nor were they exclusive to each other, although from time to time they found themselves sharing a bed during her visits from the moon. Her parents still held hopes that she would marry the esteemed soldier, but the young couple knew better.

_'Tell me about Earth,' he had begun begging her a few months ago._

_She would shrug her shoulders with indifference and wait for him to pay her a compliment before continuing. At first she tells him about the most boring parts of her trip, and only after then she tells him about Endymion and his legendary Shitennou._

_'I will become a Shitennou,' Adonis announces, his voice booming with pride._

_'I don't know that you are handsome enough,' she teases him in return._

_His eyes check the hallway to find that they are still alone. He presses her with more roughness than necessary against the wall and says 'but I am your legendary lover' before he places a firm kiss on her lips, smiling when her hands start to wind their way around his neck. She moans deep in her throat and he pulls away, continuing down the hallway as she runs to catch up with him._

_She will payback his favor, and he smiles knowing that she, being the bolder of the two as she grew older, would wait until she knew they might get caught to do so. Whether it be a stolen kiss or a teasing touch as her hand slids down the front of his pants for the briefest second with her alluring touch, she would have her fun – after all, it was the competition that he had started._

_'But,' she would continue once he acknowledged her look of indignation, 'I have yet to meet their leader. He is always away with Endymion making some excuse or another for his absence.' Her words were childish, but he knew that she was trying to mask her disappointment of not being able to satiate her curiosity. 'I hear he is the best looking of them all.'_

_Adonis had heard the same rumors, and for a man who lusted after beauty, he knew that he would not be satisfied until he had the chance to know the validity of the words being spoken of the stranger. Minako was very similar to him in that respect. It would not surprise him if she chose to have an affair with any of those men – forbidden or no._

Today though, was different. She didn't bother with her distractions or games; she spoke of the tall imposing man who seemed to have claimed her attentions. It was the way that she spoke of him though that caught his attention. The man didn't seem interested in her beauty – which was quite the statement considering the goddess that she was. His comments to her were intelligent with perhaps a hint of flirtation.

_'It must be hard having such a bundle of curiosity for a Princess,' he had said to her. The Prince said the Shitennou's name, almost scolding him with his tone. Serenity had laughed as the blushing senshi ushered her away._

_Venus turned back to the man, 'you must stay busy having such a voracious prince.' With a wink she and the princess were both gone, transported back to the moon._

Adonis knew in that moment that he would meet this man to decide for himself whether he was as legendary as spoken of, or a mortal who could do no more than reached for the stars, never truly able to grasp them. Although he feared that by the faraway look in Minako's eyes that this man now held something even more precious than the heavens themselves.


	2. Makes Me Wonder

Adonis ran through the halls of the Venusian palace with Minako in tow. She was running late – as was the norm for her – and so he had been sent to retrieve her before the shuttle left without them forcing them to miss this trip. Her senshi heels clicked and clacked in the empty corridors behind them making Adonis wonder once again why it had taken her so long to get ready when she was travelling in senshi attire. She could be so infuriating at times, especially more so now than ever because she had been acting so unlike herself.

The king and queen each took a moment to murmur a hushed conversation to the young princess, reminding her of the important role that she played in diplomatic relations between Venus, the Moon, and Earth. She nodded her head, a solemn expression on her features as she clasped her hands behind her back, but Adonis could tell that she was waiting till she could turn her back to roll her eyes and make a face. Adonis took her hand and walked her, slower this time, towards the spaceship knowing that the gesture would please her parents by allowing them to think that there was more to their relationship.

'_If you continue to act this way you'll be forced to marry me_,' she whispered as they moved out of hearing range and up the narrow metal dock that would lead them into the spacecraft.

'_If you continue to ignore your other suitors I'll be the only one left for you to marry_.'

'_If I didn't know any better I'd think that you were secretly in love with me_.'

Adonis laughed and withdrew a single card from his sleeve. He held the card up so that only the red diamond weaved back of the card was visible. She sighed, the dramatic gesture filled with mock annoyance and pulled the card from his hand so that she could turn it over to reveal the ace of spades. '_Ah, but it appears that our love is not to be_,' he said as she placed the card back into his palm.

'_My parents may never forgive you for refusing to marry their daughter_,' she said with an exaggerated shake of her head.

'_I can only hope then that the Queen of Hearts will not demand off with my head_,' he chuckled, smiling as she laughed along with him.

They shared very little conversation during the flight to Earth. She seemed to be preoccupied with her thoughts just as much as he was with his own. After all the stories that he had heard, he was now even more eager to visit the Earth to meet these men of legend and their prince. Above all, he wanted to know who it was that had managed to fluster the Venusian princess – a daunting task that even he had yet to accomplish.

When the spacecraft landed they were ushered out into the planet's bright sunlight that left Adonis feeling as though he were on display. He had never before left his native planet like the senshi at his side, leaving him somewhat off balance at this new experience. The beautiful scenery of the golden kingdom attempted to steal his attention but he managed to school his focus on the approaching figure of the prince and shadowed by another man, who despite walking behind the prince almost appeared to be leading. Adonis felt himself become awestruck at the sight of the well-favored man and based on these sparse few seconds he felt that he could both see and feel the commanding presence of this man who he had no doubt must be the lead Shitennou.

Endymion extended out his hand in a traditional Earth greeting while offering a smile that promised kindness and almost in turn asked for Adonis's loyalty to which he felt himself wanting to offer the dark haired stranger. A brief verbal exchange was made then Endymion moved on to greet the senshi of Venus. There was a knowing look shared between them, although he had little time to explore it further as he found himself face to face with the fair haired man who stood several inches taller than him.

Adonis prepared himself to exchange a handshake with the man as he had with Endymion, but was surprised when the Shitennou brought his two fingers to his lips and with his other arm held at his chest, bowed deeply at the waist in the traditional Venusian greeting that one would perform when in the presence of someone of royalty or high social status. Forcing the surprised look from his face, Adonis performed the same greeting as a show of respect for the man who had taken the time to familiarize himself with the Venusian customs – although for some reason he felt that he shouldn't be surprised.

With a nod of his head, he moved on to greet Minako with a brisk nod of his head. This surprised Adonis, but he didn't have time to dwell on this as Endymion gestured for the group to follow after him. Adonis walked at the prince's side while the senshi and Shitennou walked several steps behind him. He could hear the faint sounds of a whispered conversation behind him of a curious delinquent princess and a voracious prince.

'_Where have you hidden away your princess today?_' the tall Shitennou asked her almost as if he wasn't really interested, although Adonis could see through the tone to know that he was teasing her.

Her eyes sparkled as she responded in jest, _'I figured that as long as I'm here to keep a proper eye on your prince my princess will not be so easily distracted._'

_'He can't be blamed alone for her actions.'_

_'My princess would have never known these actions if not for him.'_

_'You're saying he has corrupted her?'_

_'That is what men do to rational women,' she commented in an offhanded tone._


	3. Not Coming Home

Through several negotiations with the Venusian royal family, and no assistance from Minako who had managed to not resurface for the duration of these talks, Adonis was able to work out an arrangement that would allow for Endymion's lead Shitennou to travel to Venus to assist Adonis in training a group of elite soldiers. Though Adonis' first encounter with the silver haired man had been relatively brief, he found himself instantly fascinated by this natural born leader. Everyone obeyed this man with barely more than a quick glance of sharp green eyes – even the other Shitennou and those of the Royal family never questioned his words – which were not often spoken as the man seemed to value brevity of speech. At the end of this initial visit, Adonis left believing that Endymion was merely the figurehead in the hierarchical structure while it was this soldier that truly ran this Golden Kingdom.

The lead Shitennou now had full access to Venus and had travelled back and forth between the sister planets many times since that day. As an act of gratitude for his efforts, had been given his own apartment within the palace by the king and queen – an honor that had only previously been bestowed to the Queen of the Moon and her daughter.

Adonis had noticed the shift in Minako's personality on the eve of the first of many visits from the Earthen soldier. She had somehow seemed hurried as if she were anxious and, for the first time in their relationship, shied away from him not wanting to partake in their normal playful dalliances in hallway corridors. When questioned her about this change, she laughed off his concern - something that had not made Adonis feel any more at ease. Her immediate response came in the form of a joke where she teased that when she next saw the handsome soldier from Earth she would happily give him a tour of her rooms that would last for hours. Adonis laughed at her and remarked that perhaps he would stand in so that she could make sure that she was ready for such an endeavor.

For a moment things appeared exactly as they always were between them – Minako rising onto the toes of the strappy heels belonging to her senshi fuku, pretending that she would kiss him before twirling away as smooth as the wind that blew across the vast bareness of land that lay below the floating castle.

The next morning, when Adonis went to alert her to arrival of the Shitennou, he found that she was gone.


	4. Harder to Breathe

Adonis stood atop the high wall, his eyes captivated by the fathomless depths below him. The beautiful castle Magellan floated above the nearly baron planet. It would be so easy to step over the edge and free fall to the bottom - he doubted he would even be able to feel anything on the way down.

She was his fairy tale, the beautiful princess who lived in the tallest tower, untouchable to any mortal man. Perhaps that's exactly what this Heavenly King was, a man untouchable to the gods themselves. She was his fairy tale.

This was to be the Shitennou's final visit to Venus. Adonis knew this day was coming but he still dreaded it all the same. As a soldier he fully understood the importance of appearances for the sake of morale and it would do no good to have the Earth's most beloved son - aside from the Prince himself - away on another planet at times as tumultuous as these.

Rather than spend the day going through drills and training exercises with the higher ranking, more elite men of the Venusian army (the humor of a female-less army was not lost on Adonis), the two men had spent it in private conference. Although every moment spent with this man seemed to be a prestigious honor to Adonis, the events of today would never have greater importance.

Did he really care about her private affairs?

He had seen them together, alone in the gardens surrounding her room. The area was located off of her bedroom and was enclosed by tall hedges on two sides while the third, far side was outlined by a waist high stone wall that overlooked the sheer drop of the palace walls. Constructed on the highest tier of the castle, these gardens were made to allow absolute privacy to the Princess who was considered to be the pride of the royal family.

Though the general was of Earth, he still should have known through his own customs – and that of his excessive knowledge of other customs – that he had no place being alone with her without witness. The Princess's affairs were often overlooked – but an offense of this type by someone of alien descent – that would not be so easily forgiven, especially when it was between the lead enforcer of the Alliance and one from the savage planet that longed to belong to it.

Adonis could still clearly see himself out in the courtyard where he and the Shitennou had been sparing. Some had gathered to watch the two skilled men, many amazed by the intensity and speed of the movements. But that wasn't what remained strongly in Adonis's mind. It was that red sash – the one that had been tied so tightly around the trim waist of the other man. Both had grown warm during their exercise and had removed their outer jackets to reveal bare chests that, Adonis chuckled to himself, had also brought about some admirers. The red sash was a trademark of the Venusian Army, a sign that should have made the man of Earth proud to be able to bear.

Did he laugh at their traditions when he believed no one to be looking?

The sound of the cool glass cracking underneath Adonis's warm hand still rang in his ear. He could still see his Princess dressed in a gown of soft, pale pink as she crossed the lush grass, his presence unknown to her as he stood statuesquely still inside her empty room, surprised that she had returned home as he had not been expecting her to return until after the Shitennou's visit had ended – as was consistent with her normal behavior. They had been talking, maybe even arguing – Adonis couldn't be sure. He had always suspected that the two remained in contact despite the fact that they did not appear together since the time that he had first visited the Earth and they shared that same expression that he could not name.

Did they share this secret even then?

Could he even give a proper name to this secret? He had not stayed long enough to see what transpired between them. His mind had automatically flashed images of the man's arms going around her as her gown fluttered to the ground like a flurry of cherry blossoms. All he could see was her looking as beautiful as the goddess she was named for and him as he had last been seen with his jacket missing and that red sash tied around that slim waist, his well muscled chest on display. Adonis's hand pressed against the glass, the cracking noise should have alerted the couple standing nearby to the French doors of his intrusion but they seemed far too intent on whatever it was that they were discussing. Adonis wondered what she would think when she saw the imperfection in that singular pane of glass. Would it be symbolic to her?

These thoughts ran through Adonis's mind as he had passed through the palace, rudely ignoring greetings from those that he passed. Now that he stood on the world's edge he felt only even more so plagued, but it was not those same thoughts that had originally sent him reeling – it was something else that left him feeling perturbed. Was it really the loss of her affections that affected him so? Or was it perhaps the lack of attention from another that cut him so deeply?


	5. Losing My Mind

When the day came that the earth called upon the planet Venus for help as the invading darkness began to overwhelm their forces, the royal family knew that they could not justly refuse the request of the people who had worked so diligently to build the strength of their army - especially not a request from the one who had personally done so much for them. Sailor Venus led her army to Earth, with Adonis as the leading General, where she turned them over to Endymion's Shitennou, falling under the command of non other than the one man that had slowly become the center of attention for both Venusians (albeit for very different reasons).

Adonis watched Venus standing with the silver haired Shitennou, noticed the discrete looks they had begun giving each other. Most of all, he noticed the red bow that she now wore in her hair. Was this a hidden symbol of a relationship not meant to be known? Might this be the same sash that _he_ had been wearing in her garden that night? Adonis closed his eyes and could imagine how after he had left the couple the way that Minako would have approached him, her nature playful as she tugged the red material from his waist.

_His larger hands, not nearly as soft as hers, would steal back the material and use it to partially tie back the free flowing strands of her hair. _

Heat built up as his mind continued with this fantasy of her slipping her finger into the waist band of the man's pants_. _

_With a teasing tug against the dark material she would slip free of him and turn as if she would walk away knowing that he would not let her escape him so easily._

No, he could not allow himself to continue to think of these images. Colored specks floated through his vision while a dull heat burned behind his eyes. Those standing closest to him began to shift uncomfortably as if they could know his thoughts. It didn't matter what they thought – they were all here to die on this wretched planet anyway.

Surprising everyone, Adonis had chosen to stand amongst the other Venusian soldiers rather than on the platform next to the couple that sought to deceive everyone with their coy appearance. He would rather be one of the common soldiers – a no one in her army –than stand beside them continuing to pretend that nothing had changed when in fact everything had for reasons that he could not truly justify.

Sailor Venus had very little to say to her men that Adonis knew were being led to slaughter by this alien force that had invaded the Earth from within. Her brief words were meant to be encouraging, but he doubted that anyone heard them. She was their goddess princess that was rarely seen by their mortal eyes – so of course it was these same eyes that paid attention while their ears turned deaf in the sweet hypnosis of her voice. It was Endymion who next offered little more than a handful of words of gratitude – but his appearance was cut short and he was quickly swept away from the open space by another one of his guards – a man with long blonde hair swept into an unruly ponytail. Zoicite he had heard this man called once, but he was too inconsequential for Adonis to be interested in – he lacked the presence of the silver haired man whose booming voice now spoke to the soldiers. His speech was long and meaningful as he had always had a way with words. The Venusian soldiers were energized by his promises of victory and with the confidence with which he spoke these words.

Adonis knew better by now than to allow himself to be swayed by anything that this man promised. Again he could feel the same heat burning behind his eyes – this time warmer than before.

The speeches eventually ended and the blonde senshi slipped away from the crowds, following after the Shitennou that had been standing at her side. Undoubtedly they would go off to join the Earthen prince for their "conferences" where he would ultimately wind up sneaking off and indulging himself in the affections of the Moon princess. In his absence the princess and the Heavenly King would be alone to do as they pleased. The ache in Adonis's head intensified as did the increasingly heated sensation behind his eyes. He excused himself with what he had hoped to be words even though he was sure they came out as dull grunts. How far he walked or where he had walked to he couldn't be sure – the pain drove him forward while his mind pulled at him to go back, but he couldn't stop himself.

He paused to lean against the nearby tree – really any object sturdy enough to support his weight would have been enough. The ache had increased in intensity so that it felt as if the fires of Mars burned behind his eyes. Bright spots filled his vision until he could barely see his surroundings. He wanted to scream out against the pain, but found that he could do little more than brace himself against the onslaught of images threatening to tear his mind apart.

_The beautiful couple of gold and silver threaded their fingers together as they slid further into the wild forest surrounding the castle to a place where they believed they would be alone. Adonis watched, a numb feeling spreading through him as she threw herself into his arms, her legs wrapping around his waist and meeting his lips in a kiss so passionate that he knew he should be blushing for witnessing. Large hands tangled in golden locks while her hands made quick work of unfastening the buttons of his shirt. _

Adonis shook his head in disgust, the taste of bile in his throat. This isn't the way that it was supposed to be. He should have been accepted as one of Endymion's Shitennou. He would have reported directly to the silver haired general – to the man of legend whose name had come to echo throughout the galaxy many times louder and further than that of the man he served, the prince of this barbaric planet.

Dropping to his knees, his hands flew to his head, the heels of his palms digging into his closed eyelids as he silently begged for the pain to stop. He didn't want to see these images, to have these thoughts haunting his dreams and waking moments.

'Do you really want it to stop?' a voice inside him said. He didn't need to answer, his mind knew how to respond for him. A release from the heat behind his eyes that left him nearly blinded to his surroundings.

_The man being held hostage by her strong thighs stopped her, slowly lowering her back to the ground. She was angry by his rejection and slapped him with jaw breaking force when he attempted to speak to her and stormed further off the palace grounds to be alone._

'Promise me,' the voice continued with its rasping tone.

And it stopped.


	6. Wake Up Call

No one understood how it could have happened.

It wasn't believed that such a defeat would have been possible, not with two of Endymion's Shitennou leading such a powerful army.

Word had come back that after three days of fighting, the war turned quickly from Earth's favor to that of the dark army that had been amassed.

They said that no one survived.

Endymion locked himself in his Elysian palace and was not seen by anyone. Rumors circulated, some filled with concern for their distraught leader, others whispering that he had in fact fled to the moon and had abandoned all of them. If his Shitennou could not stop this invading force than what hope did any of them have?

The moon reacted to this news swiftly, further enforcing the ban that allowed communications between them and the blue planet. This evil could not be allowed to spread – they could not allow it to infect those of the silver millennium. The Princess tried vainly to escape the confines of the moon despite the orders that her mother had put in place to prevent her from doing so. She pleaded with her senshi for help – the earth needed them, they couldn't stand by and let them be destroyed by something they had no control over. Most of all she appealed to Venus who had military ties to the planet.

"Please, Venus," Serenity cried.

"No, Princess," she said firmly, her eyes vacant as if all the happiness had been drained from her.

"You don't understand!"

"I do understand. The blue planet must fight this on its own. You must forget about Endymion."

The words stung. 

"You don't understand," she repeated, her voice hardening. "You've never been in love before."

Those words stung worse.

Venus joined with the Moon, stating they had already given up too much in this battle of futility. The loss of their army had been hard enough, but to know that they had lost their beloved son to a fight they had been drawn into was sacrifice enough. They would do no more.

A few more days passed and more rumors began to circulate.

There was a woman declaring herself to be the new Queen of Earth. Endymion still had not emerged from his palace. The people began to war amongst themselves. Those that were loyal to their monarchy fought against those that wore the beryl stone amulets claiming allegiance to another – one whose name brought despair to those unfortunate enough to hear it whispered in their presence.

They say that two survivors had been found. The first man no one knew the name of. His golden hair shined otherworldly and he had a shredded red sash tied around his waist. The other man was Zoicite.

Word travelled that even a third man had been found, but no one knew for sure.

A week later another rumor had been born.

This one more terrifying than anyone could have imagined.

Saturn had been awakened.


	7. Goodnight Goodnight

He watched through slatted eyes, perched in the branches of the tree whose height had been lost in the darkness of night. The meeting had been unexpected and it bothered him that he had not seen it coming.

Unpredictability left him feeling uneasy.

The Prince had finally descended from upon high from where he had hidden himself away in his protected kingdom of Elysian where his remaining Shitennou flanked his side at nearly every moment. The prince had not fled to the moon, but the power of rumors was that much more powerful than that of the truth – and more often than not, much more compelling. But now here he was in the southern region, with his injured Shitennou, completely on his own as if he had nothing to fear.

Endymion walked a few scant feet behind Zoicite, watching the pained steps that the young blonde haired man took. They had said nothing in all this time, neither man willing to break the silence until they knew that there was no one to take in the sound.

Didn't the little prince know that there is always someone to hear a tree when it falls in the woods?

Zoicite stumbled mid-step and leaned into the large oak tree that he passed by. His forehead pressed into the sharp edges of the course bark, but the look on his face seemed as if he were receiving pleasure from this pain. Perhaps it was because this new pain brought him relief from that which tormented him night and day. The man walked amongst the living but was one of the dead. He never laughed or spoke to anyone anymore; his sharp green eyes had dulled to a nearly lifeless gray, appearing sunken as they faded into pronounced cheekbones that had once made him look beautiful. Most noticeable was the way that his body had become painfully slim as he hardly ate. The only sound ever heard from him was that of his nightly howls of agony as he slept, the horrible sound waking everyone in its immediate vicinity with its sorrowful echoes resounding through empty hallways. Some whispered amongst themselves that he had nightmares from what he had witnessed. Others said that he had met death on the battlefield and cried out as the ice cold fingers of the soul-taker brushed his skin in his dreams.

No one dared to speak of Adonis.

No one questioned that his nearly fatal injuries were healed within days.

No one spoke of his ever lingering presence around the injured soldier that they held in highest regard.

No one dared to even whisper his name lest it get caught on a breeze and carried over to him.

Endymion reached out and placed his hand on Zoicite's arm, turning him so that the two men stood face to face.

"_You could have told me you weren't dead_," Endymion said firmly.

"_Then I would have been lying_," Zoicite spoke hoarsely, his voice faint from disuse.

_"Was I wrong to allow you to ascend to your rank so quickly?"_ he heard Endymion ask. Patronizing, Adonis thought bitterly. But he expected nothing less from the man who couldn't be bothered to come see his protector once over the past few weeks.

He did not hear Zoicite's rebuttal to the harsh criticism, only catching the ending of the brief conversation. _"You should not return here. Go back to Elysian and have the priest pray for us."_

It took all of Adonis's effort to not snort at the forced sentimentality. Endymion's priest was as much a figurehead as Endymion was himself. Both men locked themselves away in Elysian becoming nothing but fodder for rumor. No one had ever seen this priest – Helios was his name – the man may not even exist for all the population of Earth knew.

Adonis tensed as he watched Zoicite sharply move in Endymion's direction. He did not want to have to intervene and reveal his presence, angering the earthen prince for eavesdropping, but then Zoicite stepped back carefully and calmly, and Endymion departed, disappearing back into shadows that he had emerged from. No one would know of his presence tonight. No one would know that he remained on Earth and that he had not escaped to the moon.

And even if they had, no one would care.

Adonis dropped soundlessly from the tree to land in a crouching position mere feet away from Zoicite, the red sash around his waist bright in their otherwise colorless surroundings. The two men made eye contact with each other for a sparse moment before Zoicite allowed his body to lean against the tree trunk. His eyes closed tightly as his body began to fall slack. A tearing noise was audible as the cape of his uniform snagged against a sharp corner of tree bark followed by the soft scratching of his leather boots against grainy dirt as his knees collided with the ground. A small trail of bright red blood formed between Zoicite's otherwise white teeth as he bit down on his lip in an effort to suppress the howls of pain that pulled at him. It had nearly killed him to hold calm in the presence of his prince and all at once it suddenly showed.

"Do you really want it to stop?" Adonis asked those familiar words, his voice almost mocking if not outright cruel. Zoicite's eyes remained closed against warm tears, his broken body shaking with intensity.

"Promise me," Adonis said coolly.


	8. Better That We Break

Her presence did not escape his attention.

The second he felt her golden aura descend on the darkened planet he allowed himself to be pulled to her location. She shouldn't be here. Her Queen had forbidden it. If there was ever one truth about her, it was that she always followed her orders.

So what then was strong enough to make the goddess descend from upon high?

When the luminescent aura of her power faded, she took a few short paces forward before dropping to one knee in front of the steps to the marble altar. White gloved fingers became a tarnished shade of golden brown as her fingertips pressed into patches of dying grass and loose dirt that had once been a lawn of lush green. She remained as still as a statue, not even a twitch of a taut muscle would betray her stillness by causing a shifting of a single strand of hair from where it hung down her back.

Faintly his ears began to pick up a sound coming from her. It was soft at first, the sound of chanting, barely noticeable. A prayer maybe? Then a pained sob released its self and she allowed her body to collapse on the ground. Both knees gave way under her weight, pressing into the grainy ground below them, her chest resting against the tops of her legs while her face and arms disappeared under the wild streams of tendrils that lay strewn out around her. Moonlight shone brightly around her, giving her a radiant appearance against the death coated ground that she rested her body upon.

Could it be she mourned for this planet? Maybe even for its inhabitants? She had spent so much time here as ambassador that maybe she missed the sight of lush fields and the gentle blue of the sky. He could remember his first visit to the green planet and for a moment he faltered.

_His eyes greedily took in the sight of the deep forests and the meadow full of tall strands that were later identified as wheat. The smells were all so wonderful the way that they blended together in nature. Even the sounds of the wild birds as they soared across the sky left him nearly awed with the echo of their beautiful song._

He approached her slowly, his boots making no sound as they crossed over the lifeless field. She did not move and it deeply pained him to watch her like this. His Venus should not mourn. She should not be made to be so sad. He crouched behind her, his arm outstretched as if he would brush his fingers through the familiar silk of her mane. Yet something kept him from making contact with her and he instead remained frozen in place.

_She gazed at the tall Shitennou and smiled cordially – maybe even a bit flirtatiously. No words were spoken aloud, but it was obvious that a conversation was taking place with their eyes. What fantastic secrets did they share that they wouldn't dare to speak aloud? Then he saw it, from the corner of his eye. The movement was so subtle that it was a wonder that he hadn't missed it. She touched him, the tips of their pinkies nearly interlocking. Within the time span of a single breath she had managed to make the intimate gesture with no one being the wiser. _

_A dull ache burned behind his eyes so lightly that he didn't notice it._

_A single colorful spot momentarily blinded him, the cause appearing to be nothing more than the sun's glare._

_He loved his Princess. He, who was nothing more than a miserable soldier, just another nameless soul when compared to those that he longed to become one of._

His eyes drifted upwards to the altar and the light feeling that held him captive over her vanished. He remembered now why he was here and exactly why she shouldn't be. Raging anger started to build up inside of him, bright spots momentarily blinding his vision as a tremor passed through his outstretched arm -his fingers feeling as if they still had the urge to touch the tarnished hairs of her golden head. Before he could stop himself from acting any further, he sprung to his feet and unsheathed his sword.

"Whore!"

His voice cut across the open space and echoed off dead tree branches just seconds before his sword plunged through her body.

She had attempted to spring to her feet - twisting her body to face the voice that had been at her back - at a speed that the human eye would have difficulty following, yet it still wasn't fast enough to outmaneuver her opponent. Her eyes drifted down to the penetrating, and potentially fatal injury before looking back up, staring in disbelief, and wondering how this could have happened.

How could it be that he would be the one to kill her?


	9. If I Never See Your Face Again

Venus's hands clasped the metal of the blade, her palms flat against the smooth edges. She gasped as she forced the sword out of her abdomen and slowly fell to her knees, her hands holding steady on the cool metal even as her eyes never lost contact with his. No words were spoken, but he could well imagine how she would speak to him if she had the chance. To his surprise, he realized that he didn't care.

He pulled the blade free of her hold and dropped it to the ground with a light metallic clang. Her body crumpled forward and she caught herself on her palms, her golden hair draping over her face so that her eyes could no longer silently accuse him. Her blood was spattered on the ground. 'Whore,' he cursed her in his mind.

Adonis began to walk away from the collapsed form of his princess towards the marble altar when he noticed a tall silhouette falling into step besides him.

"You attacked a delegate of the moon," commented the deep voice. "How careless."

"You will not judge me," Adonis muttered, keeping his eyes trained forward.

"If you had ignored her presence she would have returned to the moon none-the-wiser."

"We both know it wouldn't have been so simple." His boot heel clicked against the step at the base of the altar, also formed from the slate of white and gray tinted marble. "She has forsaken her kingdom. She whores herself for the enjoyment of a savage barbarian. Whispering sweet words in her ear wouldn't have been nearly as effective."

"I'm sure you know that honey is more effective than vinegar," came the chuckled response. "And what will you do as your next act? Perhaps you will take down the other senshi?"

"I defeated the shitennou – I can handle the senshi," he snapped, stopping at the altar itself. "Each one of them died by my hand and yet you still talk as if I'm a rookie soldier who does not know how to properly wield his blade." He closed his eyes tightly and spoke through clenched teeth. "Even you became love's bitch at her command, Kunzite," he said firmly as he turned to face the source of his antagonist to find that he was standing in the center of the sculpted marble edifice entwined by dying ivy utterly on his own.

The sound of men's laughter caught Adonis's attention and he spun around to the entrance to see the two blonde shitennou standing at the entrance, backs pressed to the twin columns of the opening archway.

"Where is he?" Adonis demanded, his anger seething under the surface of his lips at their mockery.

"He'll be here," Jadeite answered.

Adonis looked over Jadeite's arrogant pose, the way his arms crossed at his chest and how his right knee was bent with his foot pressed against the wall. He frowned and looked over to the slightly shorter man across the way. "You look well."

"Death becomes some more than others," Zoicite responded coolly.

"One doesn't have to die to be born again," Adonis countered.

"If you call this 'life' then."

Adonis spun on his heel to face the altar. His eyes settled on the figure standing behind the plinth with long arms resting on the side rails. "We depart tomorrow night during the new moon."

The man with chestnut hair backed away from the railing and gave a grand mock bow before transporting away. Adonis closed his eyes and listened for a sound from the two younger soldiers, satisfied that they were gone when there was only silence.

His eyes opened again to look down upon the figure lying on the plinth before him. The sides of the man's cape had been drawn up to cover his body, although one flap had slipped and hung freely down the side to rest just above the marble slab. An arm clad in white was visible on the exposed side, revealing a pale lifeless hand resting upon a flat stomach, clasping a game card with its weaved back visible. Adonis reached forward and pulled the card from still, pallid fingers. "Your love fortune is no more, Kunzite," he muttered, ripping the card in half at a slight angle. As he turned to walk away he threw the halves of the card over his shoulder so that they fluttered to the ground, revealing the remains of the Ace of Hearts.

Stepping down from the altar, Adonis bent over to pick up his sword from where he had dropped it, barely noticing that the body that had been laying there only moments ago was now gone.


	10. Nothing Lasts Forever

Adonis moved forward, the carnage around him sending chills of pleasure though his body. The moon palace was alit with small bursts of flames seeping out from an opening where the wall had been blown out. Dark smoke danced up the formerly white walls tarnishing the sanctuary belonging to the white queen. As he closed the distance between himself and the altar of the moon where he knew the Moon Queen could be found offering silent prayer, he paused, the sight of a senshi's body laying broken on the ground. The white of her uniform was covered in dark stains of dirt and maroon, the color of her dried blood. A sword had been run through her abdomen offering the young girl a long and painful death. Drafts of wind ruffled her blue skirt drawing Adonis's eyes to the gray uniformed man besides her. One of his shitennou had fallen. Jadeite. His skin was blue with frost bite and there was no sword to be found near either of her bodies. Had the weapon been picked up by a scavenging youma? Or had another killed the senshi?

His eyes scanned the area to see the brown haired senshi standing over the body of another one of his Shitennou. Nephrite. Then as if blown over by a passing breeze she dropped to her knees and fell on top of the fallen man. Several slashes covered her legs and a sword wound could be seen on her back. Another senshi who would die slowly and without mercy - but where was the champion who had taken down the mighty Amazon?

"She only looks like she would be hard to take down," a deep voice rumbled next to him. "But really she was less of a challenge than the child of Mercury."

Adonis looked to his right to see Kunzite standing beside him, his gray uniform looking pristine. "Beryl will revel in her victory. I will be thanked as her champion."

"You have done nothing."

"I led this army," Adonis growled. "They marched on my orders."

"And now you have been relieved of your duty," Kunzite smiled wantonly.

"You're dead," Adonis said, turning his eyes back to the fighting surrounding him, preferring the sight of broken and bloodied bodies littering the ground rather than facing the ghost standing at his side.

"Aren't we all?" Kunzite paced several steps around Adonis, his eyes never leaving the face of the blond haired man.

Adonis clenched his eyes tightly so that he wouldn't have to see the encroaching form eclipse his vision. "You're not here. You will not judge me. I will no longer allow you to judge me."

A soft laughter rang in his ears, the voice was almost feminine, yet it was deep enough that he knew it belonged to a man. He could feel the blood rushing to his cheeks. No one would laugh at him. No one would challenge him. Not when he came so far. Not after all that he has accomplished.

"Silence, Zoicite," Kunzite said dryly, causing Adonis's eyes to pop open.

"It can't be," Adonis whispered hoarsely in Kunzite's direction. "You're not here. I saw you die. I saw the sword in your chest. I saw your body."

"Life and death," Zoicite said lightly, coming to stand next to Kunzite, "are quite interchangeable as you yourself have said. Just as 'one doesn't have to die to be born again', one does not have to have life to be living."

"You won't take this from me," Adonis responded in a raspy voice to Kunzite, his eyes still wide, giving no indication that he had heard anything Zoicite had said. "I subjugated the Shitennou!" he cried out, his voice echoing across the desolation. "Every one of you -" He gasped as Kunzite closed the distance between them at an inhuman speed. The other man's cold hand closed around his throat, making him realize just exactly how tangible the man in front of him was. Frigid fingers dug into the skin under his jaw squeezing and pressing upwards so that he nearly had to rise onto his toes to allow himself to take a breath. Steel eyes a piercing gray looked cuttingly back at him as they were now nearly eye to eye, although Kunzite still seemed to tower over him.

"You played a dangerous game, Adonis," Kunzite said, his voice smooth and even. "The Venusian lived and has taken the life of your queen. Your victory was short lived if one could call it that at all. There is no longer any use for you and I will not tarnish my blade with the failure tainting your blood. You wanted the age of Silver to end, and so it has." He eased his hold on the other man so that he was no longer lifting him from the ground. With his free hand he withdrew the gleaming blade from the leather sheath on Adonis's hip and pushed the hilt into Adonis's hand. "Perhaps it is time for your end as well."

Adonis stood frozen to the spot where he stood, unable to speak, unable to move. Kunzite's fingers unwound from his neck as his own fingers tightened around the sword in his hand. Rage surged through him as he stood by helplessly as the tall Shitennou and his younger counterpart turned away from him as if he no longer existed to them, both men walking forward where they would either find success or the bounds of their own mortality.

This wasn't how everything was supposed to happen.

Small explosions of light burst behind his eyes. He could see his blonde princess spinning in front of him, a bright smile on her face as golden locks spun around her orange and white clad form. She winked at him – pausing to blow him a kiss, and he closed his eyes, not wanting to see her face. He didn't want to remember the love he felt for her. He didn't want to recall the anger that ate away at him when he thought of her.

He made a promise.

His heart thudded in his chest painfully as if it were trying to free itself from his chest with each beat. This was the fault of the white queen. She made these rules. So many rules. She brought about her own fall. She killed her people.

When he opened his eyes again he found himself with an unobstructed view of the white marble altar where the defeated woman would be praying for her kingdom. The air around her altar was clear as if the battle did not reach her. She was a relic of this dying world. She could not be allowed to continue on while the rest of them choked on the dust clogged air.

Slowly he made his way in her direction. No one seemed to stand in his way as he closed the distance between himself and the woman of his desire. The fighting appeared to have nearly ceased with most of the warriors already fallen in battle. From the corner of his eyes he could see the surviving youma turning on themselves as they battled each other – their palates thirsty for more blood now that they have tasted so much of it. He thought little of anything as he continued, his mind too focused on the goal. At one point he believed he may have seen the shocking white of a sailor fuku on the ground, but he could not bring himself to care enough to look any further. Let them give their lives – let them all – no one would survive this night.

He walked heavily up the few steps, his body feeling winded despite the short distance, his mind unable to care. Finally, she was in front of him. The form of the kneeling white queen with her back turned to him, the sight of her taking his breath away. He had seen the elegant woman before, but he had never seen her as he did now. Her white dress still shone with its silky brilliance, her silver hair hanging from perfectly shaped buns on her head. Her head was bowed as she prayed at the base of the crystal spire that glowing brilliantly at the hushed whisper of her prayers.

As if sensing his presence, the pale woman's head turned upward and her body tensed. Adonis wanted to yell at her – to decapitate her so that she would not have the opportunity to tell him any lies, but when she finally turned to face him, he found he could not. Tears streaked her heart shaped face, dripping from the edge of her jaw, each droplet spattering on the ground with a ring that tore through Adonis's heart. Blood stained the front of her exquisite dress; her hands painted a dirty maroon. He could see that the blood was not hers.

"When does this end?" he thinks he asks her, unaware if he even spoke aloud for her to hear.

"Pray with me, Adonis," she says to him, unconcerned about the sharp weapon clasped in his hand.

"I cannot pray with you." _But I wish to._

"I can't save you." Her words were harsh and final, but her voice remained soft, panged with mourning. Adonis looked at her – his eyes uncomprehending. "She has taken over your mind, your soul. I can't undo what you so freely gave to her even though she deceived you so cruelly."

"I don't understand."

"From the moment you stepped foot on earth you became a pawn of Metallia. She saw something in you that she sought to exploit. This is the reason why those of the other worlds were forbidden to descend on the Earth."

_A dull ache burned behind his eyes so lightly that he didn't notice it._

_A single colorful spot momentarily blinded him, the cause appearing to be nothing more than the sun's glare._

"I am not a pawn," he spat bitterly through gritted teeth. "I am a warrior of Earth. The moon spies on the innocent and labels them as barbarians. It's your fault that we are at war. You and your crystal."

"You are a warrior of Venus," she responded ruefully.

"I do not serve that _whore_!" his anger seethed dangerously at the surface.

Selenity bowed her head and whispered a few words in his direction before turning back to face the slender tower that still glowed with her power. "All is lost for both of us, Adonis. I pray that you find the answers to ease your soul. 'Thus that which is the most awful of evils, death, is nothing to us, since when we exist there is no death, and when there is death we do not exist.'"

"I do exist!" he exclaimed. "It is I that orchestrated this dance."

Her prayers ceased for a moment as she clutched her crystal tightly to her chest. "The herald has arrived." The eerie sound of her voice sent a chill through his body.

Adonis raised his sword in the direction of the queen, no longer caring that he would strike down a defenseless woman with her back turned to him. Honor no longer mattered.

A shadow loomed from atop the crystal tower, the soft glow fading from the monument as darkness began to encompass it, seeping over the smooth edges of the walls and moving towards him like water spilling from a fountain. Adonis's eyes travelled upwards to see the figure that appeared to be precariously balanced on the sharp tip of the pillar. The sight caused his blood to run cold in his veins.

It was at that moment that he understood the words of the wise queen.

The Crystal was life.

She was death.

There could only be one.

Ghostly shapes began to form around the queen. Two figures – one in blue, one in green – to her right, and a lone figure clad in red to her left. They all looked towards the praying woman, arms tightly at their sides. A gap remained between the dark woman in red and the regal woman in white. Something was missing.

The dark senshi atop the tower waved her arm above her head, the sharp glaive seeming to cut through the time-space around her. Adonis allowed his sword to slip from his clammy hands as he dropped to his knees. He could feel a dull ache behind his eyes, a sharp pain penetrating his brain. Angry words were being spoken by the horrible voice. 'Promise me,' the voice had once said to him. He couldn't hear the other words, nor could he comprehend the ancient language being spoken, but he knew what he was being asked. He knew it was at the cost of his soul. He knew what he offered to Zoicite when he forced the younger man to make the same promise.

A form appeared in the open space near the queen. Beautiful and blonde, orange and white. Her eyes alone looked at Adonis. The blue orbs condemning him.

There would be no redemption for him.

There would only be darkness as the glaive of the legendary senshi was brought down on the altar.

There would only be a place reserved for him in hell.


End file.
